Nightmares
by Pepin-Bones
Summary: There was something she was sure would help, but she was also sure it was inappropriate and that he would say no and that most of all she should not even ask. She wasn't sure what prompted the words to even spill from her lips, but they did. "W-will you stay with me?" Ichihime


_A/N: Update 4/18/18: Some minor changes, prepping for a possible sequel._

Orihime Inoue was suffering from nightmares. Not that she was surprised after everything she experienced at the hands of Aizen and the Espada, everything she witnessed and was forced to endure both during her captivity and during her friends' desperate attempt to rescue her. She had been made to feel worthless, like the world would be better off without her. Aizen had tried to make her look like a traitor and only her friends' undying belief in her had kept them from turning their backs on her, made them face overwhelming odds in order to bring her home. They would never know, never truly understand how grateful she was for their faith in her, for their willingness to come to her aid; but at the same time, she resented it. She never wanted anyone to get hurt on her behalf and Ichigo had _died!_ She saw Ulquiorra hit him with a Cero, watched him turn into a hollow – and for what? For her?! She didn't think she deserved it. And that thought ate her up inside, made her insides feel like uncomfortable worms were crawling around fighting for their way out, made her replay the events of that fateful week over and over in her mind like some broken record player. She felt tainted, like she was some great burden to her friends, and they didn't deserve to be burdened so. As much as she wanted the comfort she knew her friends could offer, she felt unworthy of it, and so she withdrew inside herself; her heart turning dark with unrest, as her mind and thoughts continued to turn against her at the worst times – the times that she could not fight it – when she was sleeping.

It was one such night that she woke, a silent scream frozen in her throat, her body drenched in cold sweat. She sat bolt upright, her fists clenching the sheets as she dragged in ragged breaths, panting as she fought to reorient herself. Tears burned her eyes as she pulled her knees to her chest, burying her face in them as she tried to force the lasting image from her mind, the image that plagued her most nights and sent her into tears and drove her from her bed – the image of Ulquiorra blasting a hole in Ichigo's chest, Ichigo's blood pooling around him as he laid there, lifeless. Only in her nightmare he did not come back to claim victory, and his body was cold and empty in her arms.

"Oh, Ichigo," she breathed, her cheeks instantly darkening at the feeling of saying his name out loud. She never spoke his name like that – they were still so formal with each other – but at times like this, when she was reorienting herself to reality, reminding herself that he was alive and she was back home, it was a small luxury she allowed. When she finally stopped trembling, she lifted her face from her knees and looked at her cell phone sitting on the nightstand beside her bed. It was just after two in the morning. Just as she did every time she had one of these nightmares, she thought about calling him – the need to hear his voice nearly overpowering any reason why it was inappropriate to call him at such an hour. This was Ichigo, he would understand, but she didn't want to burden him with her worries. He'd done enough. With a heavy sigh, she forced the thought from her mind and looked at the ceiling. She needed to go back to sleep, but sleep would be hard to come by after such a dream, she knew from experience, and so she tossed back the blankets and headed to the kitchen to make some tea. She no sooner set the teakettle on the stove before she sensed the all too familiar spiritual pressure of the substitute soul reaper she was so worried about. "Ichigo?" she mused, moving to look outside her living room window and into the darkness.

He was far off, she could sense that, battling a hollow – of course he was. Hollows seemed to prefer coming out at night. Would he sense that she was awake? She doubted it. He was notoriously bad at sensing spiritual pressure. Regardless, sensing him, even if he was the center of her nightmares, soothed her, and as she returned to making her tea, she allowed herself to smile. _See? He is alive and well, fighting just as strongly as ever. Nothing to worry about,_ she told herself. But she _did_ worry about him. She couldn't help it. She knew all too well how much he pushed himself when he fought, how far he was willing to go for those he cared about. _And I saw just how far he went for me,_ she tried to remind herself – a tactic Tatsuki had insisted she adopt once she was safely returned from Las Noches and finally filled her in on all that had transpired.

To say the black-haired karate expert had been upset would be an understatement. When she had picked up on Orihime's melancholy after her return (and pick up on it she did, she was Orihime's best friend for a reason), she had insisted they talk it out and that Orihime fill her in on _all_ the details, including what happened before she left and how Orihime felt about _everything_. This had immediately made Orihime burst into tears, and there were several times she had to repeat herself because Tatsuki couldn't understand her through her blubbering. But in the end, she had felt better, and Tatsuki (despite her shock) had given her sound and stern advice in attempt to get her out of her mental funk. Orihime owed it to her to try and follow it.

As Orihime reminded herself of her best friend's advice, the kettle started whistling and she pulled herself away from the window to pour the boiling water into her favorite strawberry shaped mug. There was no pause for debate as she grabbed a blanket and headed out onto the porch. If Ichigo found her there, he would no doubt be upset, but she was certain he was far too busy. As always, the fresh air worked wonders on her frazzled nerves and just being closer to Ichigo's spiritual pressure helped her angst, although she would never admit it. And so it was that she wrapped the blanket around her shoulders, settled comfortably onto the porch, and rested her steeping tea on her knees, curling her fingers comfortably around the warm mug. Without thinking about it, her eyes followed the source of Ichigo's spiritual pressure, and if she squinted, she thought she could see faint flashes from his zanpakuto.

* * *

Ichigo stepped back from the hollow disappearing in front of him and wiped his brow. Without thinking, he turned to look over his shoulder, in the direction of Orihime's apartment, something drawing his gaze there that he couldn't quite explain. "Was that Inoue's spiritual pressure?" he whispered. Like their friends, he had noticed a difference in her since coming back from Las Noches, but he wasn't good at talking about such things, so he thought it better to ignore it. If she wanted to talk about it, she would – he wasn't going to force her. Regardless, the way she had withdrawn into herself concerned him, and he found himself visiting her and finding reasons to see her more than he used to. He was particularly bad about sensing spiritual pressure, Rukia and Ishida made sure to rub his nose in that fact every chance they got, but there was something different about Orihime's, something that drew him in naturally, like a moth to the flame. The fact that hers was flaring so late at night did not sit well with him, and before he could think twice about it, he flash-stepped toward her apartment.

* * *

Before she knew it, the tea was ready and Orihime took a cautious sip, the nightmare slipping into the back of her mind as she concentrated on Ichigo's steadily growing spiritual pressure. While he wasn't engaged in battle, he seemed to be getting closer, but then he would dart off into battle again before resuming his course. Tracking his movements this way was oddly soothing, and she rested her head against her apartment with a sigh as he eliminated his fourth hollow.

The next thing she knew, Ichigo appeared at the bottom of her steps, his eyes wide in surprise, his hand on Zangetsu's grip over his shoulder as though he expected trouble. "Inoue?!"

Orihime gasped at his sudden appearance, her whole body jerking, jolting her away from the building and spilling her still hot tea in her lap. "Ah!" she cried, jumping to her feet.

"Ah!" Ichigo yelled, nearly as surprised as she at her reaction. "I'm sorry!"

Shrieking as the hot liquid hit her skin, Orihime darted into her apartment, peeling off her now soaked nightshirt in the process to get the still steaming liquid away from her skin. Not thinking, Ichigo followed her, but froze the moment he saw her pulling her shirt up, tossing it aside in the hallway as she ran into her bedroom with a continued squeal. He received an uninhibited view of her pink panties disappearing into her bedroom just beneath her swaying auburn hair before he checked himself and looked away.

' _Well, well, well! We arrived at the perfect time, didn't we King?'_

Ichigo flinched at the sudden arrival of his hollow. He always appeared and acted up at the worst times. _'Shut up!'_ he yelled inwardly, but still had to swallow nonetheless as his throat suddenly felt tight. _Damn! What the hell was that?!_

In her room, Orihime realized what she had just done and collapsed against her wall, her hair covering her breasts as her chest heaved anxiously. _What did I just do? Did I just strip in front of Kurosaki-kun?!_ She panicked, dropping her face into her hands as she screamed internally, wishing he wasn't still there so she could actually vent her frustration with herself in a real scream. _How on Earth did this happen?! The little blue men have to be messing with me!_

His ears burning, Ichigo retreated to the porch to pick up Orihime's discarded blanket and forgotten mug of tea, surprised the mug wasn't broken. Feeling responsible, he carefully rinsed the mug out, smiling softly at the cute strawberry design with a vine for a handle and smiling anime face on it. The blanket was miraculously dry, so he folded it and set it on the end of the couch. When several moments passed, he bounced on the balls of his feet, seriously debating leaving, but wanting to make sure Orihime was all right first. Swallowing nervously, he cleared his throat. "I-Inoue?" he called down the hallway, careful to look at the wall and not down at her room.

Orihime froze at the sound of his voice – his voice that sounded less steady than usual. "I'm sorry, Kurosaki-kun!" she called back, peeking down the hallway with just her head, her hair falling over her shoulder. She smiled as best she could, blood still darkening her cheeks, but she felt her entire body should be glowing with embarrassment.

"No, I-I'm sorry I startled you," he quickly apologized, scratching the back of his neck. "A-are you all right?" He finally let himself look at her, but had to look away just as quickly. The sight of her bare shoulder and cascading hair nearly took his breath away.

' _Looks like an invitation to me, Kingy!'_

' _Shut the hell up! No it isn't!'_

' _What would you know?'_

Ichigo's lip curled, unwilling to admit that his hollow was right. What _would_ he know? _'Inoue isn't like that,'_ he chose to argue instead.

His hollow remained silent except for an annoyed, _'Hmph!'_ but Ichigo knew better than to let his guard down.

Disappearing back behind her wall again, Orihime hurried to throw on some fresh clothes. She had forgotten all about the pain in her thigh due to her mortification. Now, the pain was already gone. "Oh, I'm fine, Kurosaki-kun!"

"You didn't get burned, did you?"

Orihime looked at the ground, curling her toes out of nervousness before forcing herself down the hallway. She had wanted to see Ichigo, hadn't she? Well, here he was! Better make the most out of it. "No, just surprised." She bent to pick up her discarded shirt, her blush darkening as she took it back to her room. "I'm sorry."

Ichigo groaned. "Will you stop apologizing? I'm the one who made you dump your tea all over yourself." His annoyance came through in his voice.

"Right," she nodded as she came back, bowing her head.

"What were you doing out there anyway?"

She giggled and waved her hands, attempting to disperse the tense feeling in the room. Ichigo was looking at her with that frown of his, the crease evident between his brows that he so often wore when he was concerned about something. "Silly! I _live_ here!"

Ichigo deadpanned and shook his head. "I know that, but it's nearly three in the morning. What were you doing outside?"

 _Busted!_ Sighing, Orihime racked her brain for a way to get the topic of conversation off of her. "What were you doing outside of my apartment, Kurosaki-kun?"

His eyes widened a moment and Ichigo took a step back. _Shit!_ "I-well-I was in the neighborhood," he lied. _Damn it, I've_ got _to stop stuttering!_ Orihime narrowed her eyes at him. "I could tell you were awake," he admitted with a shrug and scratched the back of his neck.

 _Did he come to check on me?_ "Kurosaki-kun," she breathed, her eyes wavering.

Ichigo took a step closer, feeling his heart rate increase at their proximity. "I felt your spiritual pressure," he admitted. "Are you all right, Inoue?" The spiritual pressure he had felt had been rife with fear and pain, and it had flared up so suddenly – like she had woken up from some horrible dream. Even now, looking at her in the dim light, he could see the dark circles beneath her eyes and the sallow look to her cheeks. Her once brilliant and sparkling gray eyes had lost some of their luster. She didn't smile as much as she used to, wasn't as quick to laugh. It made his heart burn with rage to think that Aizen might have succeeded, even if only partially, in snuffing out the bright light that made her so… _Orihime._ The darkness in her eyes and the dullness in her senses had him more worried than before – he couldn't just keep ignoring whatever was wrong with her.

The look in his eye, the soft and gentle look she so rarely saw on him, made Orihime's heart swell to near bursting. It was so common for him to look just as angry as concerned, but the way he was looking at her then, there was no anger in his eyes, no reprisal. His eyes shone with stark care and concern, and her eyes stung with unbidden tears as the urge to unburden herself to him became nearly unbearable. He was there for her! He was asking her to tell him what was wrong! _But I can't burden him with this! He's done enough!_ Swallowing past the lump in her throat, she stubbornly closed her eyes a moment before smiling up at him. "Would you like some tea?"

Sighing, Ichigo pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers. He knew she was dodging the question but didn't understand why. "Sure," he breathed, stepping away from her in irritation. Determined (and more than a little uneasy), he took Zangetsu from his back and leaned it against the wall while she turned back to the stove. With her back to him, he leaned against the counter and looked over her newly clothed form, relieved that she was wearing pants in addition to a long shirt this time – seeing too much of her legs made him a little too uncomfortable – it was bad enough at school. He waited until she had the teakettle back on the stove before speaking again. "Inoue?"

"Yes, Kurosaki-kun?" she asked with an easy smile on her lips.

"You going to tell me what's going on?" he asked, doing his best to keep his eyes from her so she would feel less uncomfortable – and so he would feel less uncomfortable.

Suddenly wishing the kitchen had fewer lights on, Orihime lowered her eyes, feeling her cheeks warm. "I don't want to burden you," she murmured.

Ichigo stepped forward from where he was leaning on the counter. His typical frown had deepened, his lips pulled down into a scowl as his brows furrowed. "What are you talking about?" he demanded. "You could never be considered a burden!"

Feeling tears stinging her eyes once more, Orihime squeezed them shut and curled her fingers into fists so tightly that her fingernails dug into her palms. She didn't want to cry in front of him, it would only make things worse! "How can you say that?" she whispered, turning her head away so that her hair would hide her face. "How can you say that after all you went through for me?"

"What?" Ichigo asked, his eyes wide in surprise. When Orihime said nothing, he moved to stand before her. "What are you talking about?" he repeated, his mind racing as he tried to sort out her meaning.

Orihime bit her lower lip, fighting the trembling she felt within it. "I don't want to be anymore of a burden to you than I already am," she blurted, her words running together as she forced them out.

"Is that what you think?" Ichigo snapped. His only answer was a droop of Orihime's head. "Inoue." No response. "Inoue, look at me!" he practically had to shout to get her to respond. When she finally looked up at him, tears shone in her eyes and he had to fight the urge to wipe them away. "How can you say that?" he whispered harshly, anger and frustration welling up within him at how little she clearly thought of herself. "You are _not_ a burden to me or to anyone else." When her chin trembled he grasped her shoulders and squeezed. "Don't you _ever_ think that!"

"But Kurosaki-kun," she argued.

"No!" He shook her gently, her hair spilling over her shoulders with his movements. "I don't know where these thoughts came from, but get them out of your head! You're not a burden and you never were!"

"Then why did you come rescue me?"

"Because I care about you!" The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them and Ichigo froze, his mouth agape and his eyes wide at his admission. _Shit!_ " _We_ care about you," he swiftly amended, releasing her with one hand to scratch the back of his neck nervously. "There was no way in hell we'd leave you behind."

"But Kurosaki-kun, you died!"

His eyes flashed. He'd give his life for hers over and over again if he had to. "You think I care about that?"

She shrugged out of his grasp, allowing her anger to show for the first time. "You should!"

 _Where the hell is this coming from? I've never seen Inoue with such passion in her before…_

' _Kind of hot, isn't it King?'_

' _Fuck! Not now!'_

Ichigo flinched the moment his hollow spoke up again, taking an unconscious step back in an attempt to protect Orihime from his darker self. She immediately knew what the action meant, and cocked her head to the side, all anger gone and replaced only with concern for him. She resisted the urge to reach out to him. "Kurosaki-kun?"

Ichigo shook his head, successfully suppressing his inner hollow. "I'm fine, Inoue."

As if on cue, the teakettle whistled, breaking the tension and releasing them. Orihime turned to ready the tea with an audible sigh and Ichigo groaned inwardly, drawing a hand down his face out of agitation. _I can't believe I nearly let myself slip!_ They remained quiet until they were seated at the table, sitting on the corner from each other but not looking at each other. Words he'd never dream of saying bubbled up within Ichigo's chest, fighting for him to voice them and yet fighting to be suppressed. He wasn't good at this – he wasn't sure he _wanted_ to be good at it. Being close to someone, and letting someone get close to him was more terrifying than fighting the Espada; but nothing scared him as much as the thought of losing Orihime had. "Look, Inoue," he began, stirring his tea and staring at the rippling depth in order to calm his nerves. "I don't want you to think that way. I would gladly go to Las Noches over and over again if I had to. You-you're… _important_ to me." When he forced his eyes to meet hers, his chocolate depths pulled her in, soft and open, allowing himself to show his concern for her. "I'm here for you if you ever need anything." He shrugged before adding, "Even at three in the morning. I'm just a phone call away."

Without thinking about it, Orihime reached across the space that separated them and grasped his hand. Their breath stilled at the touch of the other, Orihime quietly sucking in a breath as warmth filled her cheeks and her heart at Ichigo's words. He wasn't usually one to say such things – he didn't usually talk that much period, although he had nothing on Sado. "Thank you, Kurosaki-kun. That means a lot."

After a moment's hesitation, Ichigo curled his fingers around hers, surprised at how natural the movement felt and how comfortable her fingers fit within his own. His heart warmed when her fingers tightened around his in response. "I meant what I said about you not being a burden. We couldn't have defeated the Espada without you're help. _You_ protected _me. You_ healed _me._ You've saved my ass more times than I can count."

There was no hiding her gasp this time. Orihime's eyes widened as she covered her mouth with her free hand. "Kurosaki-kun!"

"What?" he shrugged and took a sip of tea. "I mean it."

They were quiet for several moments as they continued to sit with their hands entwined. Neither was sure how long it was acceptable to keep the connection, but neither wanted to be responsible for breaking it, so they simply continued it. Their tea was half gone before Orihime finally drooped her head and admitted, "I'm having nightmares."

The words were spoken so quietly, at first Ichigo thought he had misheard them. "What?"

"I'm having nightmares," she repeated, her voice soft and airy in a sigh. She looked up, her eyes on the ceiling and not Ichigo, her hair falling back from her face. "About Hueco Mundo and Las Noches."

Ichigo stiffened and looked at her out of the corner of his eye, afraid any sudden movement might scare her off. Inwardly he ground his teeth, angered that he hadn't figured it out sooner. _Nightmares? Of course she'd be having nightmares!_ He could only imagine what it had been like for her there – he never really asked her what she went through. "For how long?"

Orihime shrugged. "Ever since I came home."

Ichigo had to swallow before he could speak again. _It's been weeks… That explains a lot._ "Have you told anyone?"

She shrugged noncommittally. "Tatsuki." _Although she only knows part of it…_

 _Good. At least she's told somebody._ "Do… do you want to talk about it?" He hesitated before adding, "Or about what happened?" Even though _he_ didn't want to talk about it.

She stiffened; even the hand he held went stiff and cold, causing his hand to squeeze hers automatically tighter in response. When Ichigo looked at her, a far off, distant look crept into her eyes like she was remembering something. The pain that pinched her features was unmistakable. Then a soft blush warmed her cheeks even as her eyes darkened and became moist. His moment of not wanting to talk about whatever was bothering her was gone. He _needed_ to know what was tormenting her so.

"No," she finally answered him in a whisper with a soft shake of her head. _I can't tell him I have nightmares about him dying…_

He hesitated only a moment before asking, "Is there anything I can do?" As much as he suddenly had to know what was upsetting her, he wasn't going to force her into telling him.

Surprised and yet not surprised, Orihime squeezed his hand. There _was_ something she was sure would help, but she was also sure it was inappropriate and that he would say no and that most of all she should _not even ask_. She wasn't sure what prompted the words to even spill from her lips, but they did. "W-will you stay with me?"

 _What?!_ Ichigo blinked in shock. _Did I hear that right?! Why would she want me to stay with her?_ He no sooner questioned the question before the answer immediately came out. "Of course." _Huh?!_

' _All right, King!'_

This time he managed to suppress any outward reaction to his hollow, but he had the real concern that Orihime might hear the pounding of his heart, despite being in Shinigami form. "Thank you," Orihime whispered, her eyes finally rising to meet his. An adorable dusting of pink coated her cheeks and her hand trembled softly within his, but inwardly she was squealing. "I think it will be easier to sleep with someone else here."

Completely out of his element, Ichigo scratched the back of his neck. "Sure," he breathed. _Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit! What the_ hell _did I just agree to?!_

With a gasp, Orihime pulled her hand from his to cover her surprised mouth. "Oh! What about your body? Do you need to call your dad?"

Having completely forgotten about his body, which happened to be in the perfect sleeping position on his bed, Ichigo froze for a moment before shaking his head. "Nah. Lucky for me, I was already in bed when I got the page. If my dad checks in on me, he'll think I'm sleeping." _Why does this feel so…scandalous?_

' _Because King, you're ready to get some!'_

' _What?! NO!'_ He fought to control the blood from rushing to his face at his hollow's insinuation.

"Ok!" She smiled easily, setting Ichigo's sudden nerves at ease. Scarcely suppressing a yawn, she took a sip of tea before Ichigo rose to his feet.

"Come on, Inoue. I think it's time for you to get to bed."

"What?" she looked up at him innocently.

Ichigo frowned. "You haven't been sleeping well," he stated more than asked. "I can see it in your eyes." His expression softened. "In fact, a lot of things make a lot more sense now that I know about your nightmares. You need some rest. You're about to fall asleep in your tea and I can't have you drowning on my watch," he teased with a gentle smile, extending his hand to help her up. "Come on."

Orihime opened her mouth to protest, but the words were pulled from her when Ichigo tugged her to her feet. She was surprisingly weak with fatigue, and nearly fell against his chest before she caught herself, her hand resting easily against him. They stayed that way a moment, her hand on his chest, his hand holding hers, as she looked up at him and he looked down at her. "Y-you can have the bed, I'll s-sleep on the couch," she stuttered, her cheeks growing warm beneath his gaze.

"Don't be ridiculous. You're sleeping in your own bed. It won't be the first time I've crashed on a couch."

"Kurosaki-kun," she tried to argue.

"Inoue," he argued right back, squeezing her hand to emphasize his point.

She frowned only to be spun around by him and gently pushed forward from behind with his hands firmly on her shoulders. Despite her stubbornness, her heart fluttered at his proximity and the fact that he was escorting her to bed. _I shouldn't be thinking like this,_ she admonished herself once more, but she let him escort her anyway, her blush darkening once they stopped beside her bed and the weight of his hands left her. "Good night, Inoue."

Suddenly faced with the prospect of him being so close and yet so far, Orihime froze. "Kurosaki-kun?" she whispered, her head lowered so that her bangs hid her eyes. _I shouldn't be asking this. I have no right to ask this of him!_

"Yeah?" His voice was soft and quiet in the dark, not sure why he felt the need to whisper when they were already alone. It felt odd to be in her room in the dark, about to tuck her into bed, but the way she said his name stirred something deep within him that made his heart race.

"C-can you s-stay with m-me?" she asked, her voice barely audible.

 _What?_ "I am staying with you, Inoue," he answered gently.

She shook her head gently and turned around. If Ichigo were a hugging man, it would be into the circle of his arms, but instead she just rested against his chest, while he stood there like a shocked stone. "No," she breathed into his chest. "H-here… with me."

"I-Inoue?" he breathed, looking down at the top of her head in shock and feeling his face heat up nervously as he suppressed the urge to step back.

' _All right! Told ya!'_

' _Will you shut the hell up?!'_ "Are you sure about this?" he asked, his voice low and gruff. _I'm not even sure what she's asking me…_

Orihime nodded against his chest, feeling a lump form at the back of her throat at his continued resistance, at the lack of his arms around her, withholding his solace and his comfort. She had held off for as long as she could, but he had come for her in the middle of the night without provocation, sensing her need. She wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Her hands came up to gently grip the front of his shihakusho as she pressed her face against his chest. "I'm sorry to ask this of you," she breathed. "But-"

Ichigo interrupted her, his arms wrapping around her in a tight embrace as his cheek rested on the top of her head. He closed his eyes at the comforting feeling of her in his arms, at the way she seemed to melt against him, her arms wrapping around his waist, even as she trembled. "You don't need to apologize, Inoue." He turned his head, the strawberry scent of her shampoo filling his senses as his mouth gently brushed the top of her head. "I'm here for you."

She allowed herself to smile, sighing contentedly into his chest. "Thank you, Kurosaki-kun."

"Ichigo," he quietly corrected. She pulled back, her eyes wide as she looked up at him. He scratched the back of his neck as he shrugged. "We're going to be sharing your bed. I think we're past the formalities," he offered with a small, nervous smile.

Orihime smiled, her heart leaping in her chest at the sight of his smile. "Ichigo," she tried, feeling his name roll from her tongue with ease. Her cheeks immediately warmed. _It felt so much better saying it to him…_

He smiled, following her as she stepped back, crawling into the bed. "Orihime," he tried, feeling his stomach clench at the sound of her name on his lips.

It was a mistake. It was the wrong time to change their routine, for now everything felt different. Everything felt possible. When Ichigo lay down beside Orihime, careful to keep over a foot between them, she quickly closed the distance, snuggling cautiously into his side, as though seeking his body out for warmth. "Is this okay?" she whispered, feeling him tense beside her.

Shifting, Ichigo wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer. If felt good to have her in his arms, natural – just being with her made everything feel right in the world, but that immediately made him feel uneasy. Despite the ease with which he pulled her into his arms, his heart pounded so loudly in his ears, he was sure she would hear it. "I'm fine if you're fine," he answered, his voice thick at the feel of her legs against his. Her head rested on his arm near his chest, her arm curled at her side and resting along his abdomen and chest, pulling the front of his kosode and shitagi open in the slightest.

Orihime sighed happily, snuggling into him. "Thank you, Ichigo."

He groaned inwardly at the sound of his name on her lips and closed his eyes. "You don't have to thank me, Orihime." _Seriously, please don't thank me,_ he pled.

' _I can think of one way she could thank you, King!'_

' _Fuck off!'_ Ichigo argued, squeezing his eyes shut as he grimaced.

' _I like the way you think, King!'_

' _Will you shut the hell up?! That's not what I meant and you know it!'_

' _You forget that I know your thoughts and your desires, King. I'm just man enough to admit them.'_

' _That's not what's happening here!'_

' _Oh, it's not, is it? Then can you tell me what is happening? Because it seems like you just got into bed with Orihime!'_

' _Don't call her that!'_

' _That's what your problem is?'_

' _Shut the hell up!'_

"Ichigo?"

Ichigo's eyes snapped open. _Fuck!_ "Yeah?"

"You're shaking."

"Am I?" he chuckled nervously. "Sorry." _'Fuck you!'_ he screamed at his hollow. He simply got a laugh in return.

"Is-is there something wrong?"

 _There's lots of things wrong._ "No. I'm sorry, Orihime." He squeezed her gently and kissed her forehead, freezing the moment he realized his lips were touching her skin. _'God damn you,'_ he cursed his inner hollow for his slip. "Go to sleep," he whispered, biting his lower lip as he pulled his face away from hers before he did something else he'd regret. _Shit!_

 _Did he just?_ Orihime's eyes were wide as Ichigo turned his head away from her, his features pinched in the darkness. Her fingers curled in his kosode without her realizing it, afraid he was going to pull away. _What's going on?_ She recognized the signs he was having trouble with his hollow. She knew him well enough to be able to pick up on his distress at his hollow's appearance, even if he could harness his power when he needed to. _But that doesn't explain what just happened, does it? That was Ichigo's voice, not his hollow's._ Her heart pounded in her chest, the traitorous organ doing nervous flips as butterflies overtook her belly. How did she go from a nightmare of Ichigo's death to having Ichigo in her bed, suddenly calling each other by their first names? _What is happening?!_ Should she fight it? Or should she continue to let fate unwind as it was? "Ichigo?" she whispered a moment later.

Ichigo froze, his mind still running a mile a minute as he tried to figure out how to explain what he just did – he just crossed so many boundaries… "I'm sorry, Inoue, I-I shouldn't have done that," he immediately apologized, reverting back to their more formal names in his distress.

"I think you missed," she whispered, cutting off his apology because she didn't want to hear it.

"What?" he gasped, turning to look at her in the darkness, his eyes wide. His grip on her shoulder tightened despite himself. Orihime was blushing brilliantly, her entire body flushing with heat as she lowered her eyes. Even so, Ichigo could see the way her eyelashes rested on her cheeks and could feel the ever-so-gentle way she was tugging on him, pulling him closer. "Orihime," he breathed, pushing himself up on one elbow so he could look down at her more comfortably. His hand moved to cup her cheek, his thumb brushing the delicate skin beneath her eye. A smile brushed her lips as her hand came to rest on his arm, not pushing him away or pulling him closer, just touching him. She was so warm beneath his hand, it made him smile gently. _Kami, what am I doing,_ he worried, his eyes tracing down the soft line of her jaw to her lips. His thumb followed his eyes and brushed over them gently, and she trembled in response, her lips immediately parting. As though pulled by some invisible force, his head lowered to hers, his hand moving ever so slightly to the back of her neck, pulling her up just the slightest as he bent down and brushed his lips to hers.

The moment their lips touched, they both gasped and immediately broke apart, but at Orihime's gentle grip on his arm, Ichigo leaned back down, pressing his lips to hers more firmly this time as his hand moved to the back of her head, her hair like silk between his fingers. When her hand traced up his arm to his shoulder, pulling him closer, Ichigo cautiously deepened the kiss, his tongue soft and gentle as her lips immediately opened beneath his. The softness of her lips, the gentle teasing of her tongue against his, her hand moving to entangle in his hair, all of it brought a soft groan from deep within Ichigo's throat that made Orihime smile when they broke off the kiss in order to breathe. Ichigo left his forehead resting against hers, not that she was going to let him move, and when his eyes looked down into hers, they were filled with confusion just as much as they were filled with warmth. "Orihime?" he whispered.

"Ichigo," she breathed in return, a soft smile toying with her lips as she ran her fingers through his hair.

"I," he hesitated, wanting to both pull away and continue. _What are we doing? It's not like we're a couple or anything!_

' _I told you, Kingy!'_

"Kiss me again," she demanded quietly, sensing the disquiet growing within him.

"Are you sure?" he whispered, feeling something growing within him that was not just his hollow.

Orihime nodded, shifting herself so she could face him a little easier. She saved him from making the move by pulling him down to her, her arms wrapping around his neck. He came immediately and willingly, his chest pressing against hers as she pulled him halfway onto her. This time their kiss did not start out chaste at all, Ichigo immediately dipping his tongue to hers as hers danced in return, and when her arms tightened around him, he slipped his under her, pressing her firmly against him. Their kiss grew in intensity, her hands tugging at his hair until they had to part in order to breathe, only this did not stop Ichigo. He moved from her mouth to the corner of her jaw, to her ear, to her neck, making her squirm and whine pleasantly beneath him. In her squirming, he felt that urge once more, that urge that was part his hollow, but also himself, and when one of her legs came up to nudge him, he easily slid between them, his hips resting against hers as he pulled the neck of her shirt to the side to gently nip her collarbone, while his other hand rested on the outside of her raised thigh.

"Ichigo!" Orihime gasped beneath him, and his hips pressed into hers on their own.

Flinching at the overwhelming desire growing within, and at his own brazen action, Ichigo pulled away slightly. "Orihime," he breathed. She pulled him back, her hands entangling in his kosode and crashing her lips into his. Ichigo had to catch himself to keep from falling against her, her back arching up so that her breasts pressed into his chest from below while his hips once more rocked into hers without his mind's knowledge. This time he was more aware of how he pressed against her and groaned into the kiss as a jolt of excitement went through both of them at the new sensation.

 _Holy hell! Is this seriously happening?!_ His hands started to move without his thought, her waist suddenly in his grasp before his hand moved up to the flat of her belly. He'd had an idea of his feelings for Orihime long before she went to Las Noches, he had just been excellent at hiding them and running away from them – ignorance is bliss, or so they say. He had had his fair share of dreams, he was a guy after all, but they were nothing compared to this. He never expected to suddenly find himself in her bed, doing… this! It was when her hand suddenly moved to the tie of his obi that he stopped, his fingers just grazing her breast. "Wait, Orihime," he managed to state firmly this time.

Orihime stilled beneath him, her hand inside his shitagi and resting on the planes of his abdomen. Her hand was soft and smooth against him, and she had been in the process of sliding her hand around to his bare back, pulling him against her in a way that made his blood rise, but he had to stop it. "We don't," he breathed, trying to formulate the right words in his own muddled mind. "This," he tried.

She smiled beneath him, pulling her hand from his skin to cup his cheek with such tenderness, it was similar to if he was wounded, and he pressed his cheek against her palm. "I know," she breathed. "I want to, Ichigo."

' _See? I told you she wanted this!'_

' _What?!'_ The shock was evident on his face for a moment as he gaped at her, before he shook his head. "Orihime, I-I respect you!" he blurted, closing his eyes as he dropped his face to her chest, as though blotting out the visual of her beneath him would be enough.

Orihime giggled, gripping his shoulders as her hips rolled against his in a way that did not help their situation. "I know."

"We don't have to do this," he tried again, feeling his own resolve slipping with each passing moment.

"I know." Her laughter stilled and she cupped his cheek again. "There's a reason why you were the one I chose to say goodbye to, Ichigo, and why it's the hardest for me to see you get hurt." She lowered her eyes, her eyelashes resting on her cheeks once more. "But if you don't want this," she breathed, not wanting to say what she needed to say, because she didn't want to put that on him. _Please, Ichigo! I need this… I need_ you!

"Orihime," he breathed, his heart still jumping pleasantly at the feeling of saying her first name out loud. His calloused right hand, the hand she had healed just by holding it, came to rest at her cheek. "Of course I want this," he blurted, the words coming from him without his thought until he realized what he said and what it probably sounded like and he cringed away. "Ah! I mean!" _Shit!_

' _I knew it! You horn dog!'_

Ichigo growled at his hollow, but looked at Orihime in horror. _Did I just make it sound like I only want this? Oh, great!_ "We, I, uh," he scratched the back of his neck as his entire face burned red, and he was grateful for the darkness surrounding them; hating himself for his inability to bring up such an important matter at such a pivotal time.

' _Shit, King! Spit it out already!'_

Orihime blinked at him and he lowered his head, grinding his teeth together in annoyance. He'd rather face Aizen, Ulquiorra, and GrimmJow alone all over again than discuss this, but he had to say it. "I-I don't have…a-anything," he breathed, hoping she would understand what he meant. It wasn't like he carried condoms when he was in his _body_ , let alone when he was in shinigami form…

Orihime smiled, running her fingers through his hair and along his neck, drawing his gaze back to hers. "Is that what you're so worried about?"

He swallowed. "Aren't you?" _I'm not ready to be a father!_

She giggled, the sheer act of her laughter making Ichigo press himself up to look at her in utter confusion, his characteristic frown back on his features. "Oh, Ichigo!"

"What's so funny?" he snapped.

"You're in shinigami form! You have nothing to worry about!"

He jumped in surprise. "What?!" Even as relief flooded through him, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Wait, how do you know that?"

Orihime shrugged. "Rangiku-chan told me," she answered with a smile.

"Why would she," he started then held his hand up. "Wait, never mind. Don't answer that. I don't want to know."

Orihime giggled, wiggling her hips against him. "It is a helpful bit of information though," she admitted.

"Yeah," Ichigo sighed in agreement, brushing her hair back from her face in his distraction. He wanted to pull her into the circle of his arms and make love to her just as she was obviously asking him to, but it still felt… wrong. He wanted so much more from her than just sex, and he had to make sure she knew that. "But Orihime," he breathed, not at all sure where to begin now that their momentum had been stalled.

Sensing his disquiet, Orihime smiled at him. She pressed one hand to his chest, forcing him up to his knees as she sat up. Not taking her eyes from his, she reached down and pulled up her nightshirt, her hair flipping down her back in a long wave as she freed herself from the garment. Her cheeks grew warm when Ichigo audibly sucked in his breath at the sight of her. He'd known she was blessed, he would have to be blind not to, but to see them up close and exposed was a whole other experience, and as she sat there, shyness suddenly overtaking her boldness, she covered herself when he continued to stare. "Ichigo," she breathed, worrying her lower lip.

"You're so beautiful," he murmured, finally bringing his eyes up to meet hers. "I know you're probably used to hearing that, but you are." He quickly shed the top half of his shihakusho and gently pressed her back to the bed beneath him, covering her body with his and pressing his lips gently to hers. The feel of her bare breasts against his bare chest sent a thrill down both of their spines, and when Orihime arched her back into him, he let his hand fall to her side. When they broke off the kiss, Orihime clinging to him from beneath while he gently sucked on her neck, he finally took her soft flesh in his hand.

It was unlike anything he'd ever expected – somehow both soft and firm, and amazingly responsive when he gently squeezed her nipple, eliciting a soft gasp from the woman beneath him. He wasn't experienced with this, he was simply trying what he thought she might like and was just as rewarded as she was when she enjoyed his ministrations. It wasn't until he finally grew brave enough to kiss below her collarbone that he realized how serious things were about to get.

One hand was cupping her breast while his mouth slowly descended on the other. Orihime's hands were buried in his hair, her fingers curling and tugging on his locks when he did something she liked, but when his mouth gently closed around one already taut nipple, she gasped and arched against him, her hips rolling to match his. The firmness pressing between her legs excited her just as much as what Ichigo's mouth was doing as he gently sucked on her breast, his tongue rolling lazily around her nipple until she let out a soft moan.

There was too much clothing between them and Ichigo suddenly found this unbearable, although the sudden rage he felt at such realization came from his hollow and he had to shake his head to clear his thoughts. He had an idea of what he needed to do, but felt like he needed to make sure it was okay first, and so he made his way back to Orihime's mouth, which greedily accepted and returned his kiss with a pleased sigh. Without realizing he was asking a question, she answered it by working at the tie to his hakama. His permission granted, he slipped his hand inside hers, surprised at the sudden warmth and gasp that came from the woman below him. She surprised him even more when she did the same to him, and he dropped his head to her shoulder with a pleasant shudder.

A smile crossed Orihime's lips at seeing Ichigo so immobilized by her touch, even if she was a complete novice at what she was doing or attempting to do. Her skin was on fire from his touch, a slow burn ignited deep within her belly that only grew the more he touched her. A part of her felt like she should be shy, maybe even ashamed at how brazenly she was giving in to her desires, but the part of her that was screaming ' _FINALLY!'_ overpowered it. Ichigo's hissed gasp and subsequent dropping of his head against her shoulder only made her bolder, and she gripped the shaft she found firmly. "Inoue!" he cried in surprise.

"Orihime," she corrected.

Ichigo shuddered again as her hand slid up the length of him. "Orihime," he breathed, claiming her lips with his own as she continued to work him. His hand was stilled inside the warmth of her pants, his mind momentarily taken over by her ministrations, but when he groaned into the kiss, her hips rolling and his hand slipping between her thighs, his purpose came back with a vengeance and he eased the pink panties he had gotten a glimpse of aside, his fingers easily finding her slick warmth.

"Ichigo!" she breathed harshly as he brushed against her, her hand gripping him tighter in response to her surprise. Smiling ruefully, Ichigo ran his fingers along the length of her, finding the little nub he had heard so much about from others as he moved to take her other breast in his mouth. "Oh!" she cried again, when he gently nipped her nipple. "Ichi," she started to reprimand him, but then he slid his finger down, knowing he needed to start gently, and slipped inside of her. She gasped rather than finish his name, her free hand gripping the sheets as her hips arched up to meet him. He smiled and gently started moving, returning his attention back to her breast before moving to the other side while she squirmed anxiously beneath him. Just as she started relaxing, he inserted another finger, his hips rocking as hers rocked against him. She moaned softly, clearly trying to keep herself quiet, which only made him smile as he kissed the hollow of her neck.

"These are really getting in the way," he whispered, his breath tickling her ear as he tugged on her panties.

Orihime's breath caught in her throat. She wanted this, but it was suddenly happening. When she looked at him, she supposed her fear shone in her eyes for he stopped, gently brushing the backs of his fingers against her cheek as he looked down at her with softness in his eyes. "We don't have to, Hime."

The sound of a nickname on his tongue filled her heart to near bursting. "Ichi," she choked, wanting to scream how much she loved him but terrified he would run away. He'd already given her multiple opportunities to back out, but it was the _last_ thing she wanted. "Please," she whispered, pressing her lips together out of embarrassment.

Seeing her so full of desire and yet so nervous made things stir within Ichigo's heart that he wasn't prepared for, and he gently pressed his lips to hers to soothe her nerves (and his own). He helped her shimmy out of her pants before kicking out of his own and settled between her hips. Never in a million years would he have expected to end up in Orihime's arms when his soul badge started going off in the middle of the night. Now, as he looked into her wide and uncertain eyes, her body trembling beneath him, he realized how much he loved this woman. He would die for her, over and over again if he needed to, but he would also live for her – live _with_ her, if she would have him. But he couldn't put such emotions into words, he simply hoped they came through in his eyes and in his actions as he slipped one arm under her shoulder and cupped her cheek in his other hand. "Hime," he breathed, before lowering his lips to hers.

It was as if they were kissing for the first time all over again. They were both shy and nervous, gentle and unsure, only this time once their tongues started to dance, Ichigo pressed his hips forward, groaning when he felt the slick heat of Orihime's entrance. He wanted to break off the kiss, felt like he needed to in order to focus, but he felt like she needed the kiss more, and so he continued it, doing his best to be gentle as he eased his way into her. She moaned into the kiss when he felt resistance, but he kept going forward at his slow pace. Her fingernails dug into his shoulders as she grew louder, squeezing her eyes shut against the pain as her walls stretched painfully around him. She was trembling beneath him, feeling like he was splitting her in two, but he knew better than to stop. When she broke off the kiss to bite his shoulder, his hollow surged forward and he felt a rush of energy and lust, thrusting his hips forward so that he was quickly buried within her, causing both of them to cry out.

The tremor of pleasure that rocked through him from head to toe quickly vanished the moment Ichigo heard Orihime's pained cry, even if it was muffled by her teeth in his shoulder. His hollow hadn't taken over, but he very nearly had. "Hime?" he cried, pulling back in horror. "I'm sorry! That bastard," he growled.

Panting, Orihime released him. As her head fell back against the pillow, she smiled softly up at him and put a restraining hand on his hips, keeping him from leaving. The sudden thrust had taken her by surprise, and although it had hurt, she was almost grateful it had quickened the slow torture of Ichigo's insertion. Even now, with him just resting and still, she still felt a painful sting, but she knew it wouldn't last. "Ichigo," she murmured, pulling him down by the back of his neck to capture his lips. "Just make him jealous."

 _What?! Holy shit!_ He smiled at her words, quickly returning her kiss as he slowly began to move within her. At first, he was afraid to move too much – she was so tight he was sure he'd hurt her, but as the friction heated between them, he watched her face change from a pinched expression of pain to an expression of surprise, then pure bliss as her mouth opened with her delicate cries. She uttered soft sounds of pleasure each time he moved, even though he tried to keep the movement small, but soon she was matching him, her hips rising to meet his as her fingernails dug into his back, and soon he wasn't able to keep his movements small anymore. Heat was coiling low in his stomach, quickly growing to a raging fire. "Hime!" he moaned, burying his face in her chest as he thrust into her.

"Ichigo!" she cried, her walls tightening around him as her legs pulled up at his sides, deepening the angle. The change took her breath away and she gripped the sheets in her hands. "Ah! Ichi!" she couldn't finish.

"Hime!" he grunted, his hand falling to her hip and pulling her down onto his hips as he pumped into her. His strength when he was in shinigami form was much greater than normal and when he slipped his arm under her hips, lifting her ever so slightly while keeping them up with the other, she gasped. Suddenly unable to take a deep enough breath, the new angle struck her so deeply she saw nothing but black, her toes curling and her mind going completely blank as she let out her ecstasy in a moan that rocked Ichigo to his core as he suddenly reached his peak with her, groaning out her name as he collapsed onto her. Their lips met in a hungry battle that made him groan as he came again, the bed creaking as he pulled her knee up and drove his hips into hers. "Hime," he gasped a moment later when they broke off their kiss in order to breathe. He let her leg fall at his side, his face buried in her shoulder while her fingers lazily tickled up and down his sides. She'd never had such unfettered access to him before, and she wasn't about to let it go to waste. She was rewarded even more when he shivered pleasantly beneath her gentle touch.

"Ichigo," she whispered, a soft smile permanently on her lips as she panted beneath him. She was so tired…

Being buried inside such sweetness was akin to heaven, or so Ichigo assumed. He never wanted to leave, but he also didn't want to hurt Orihime, and so he reluctantly withdrew, smiling softly at the little whimper she made as he left her. He immediately rolled to his side, pulling her with him and wrapping her in his arms.

' _Look, King! You popped your cherry!'_

' _Fuck off!'_

' _Only if you do!'_

' _Christ!'_

Feeling him tense and twitch softly, Orihime looked up at Ichigo, vaguely aware of the first signs of dawn lightening the curtain. "Is he acting up again?"

Ichigo looked at her and shrugged, not wanting to burden her with his hollow trouble. _Then again, he nearly took over me…_ "Yes," he admitted, deciding not to keep any secrets from the healer. "He didn't," he paused, his face darkening at the thought, "hurt you, did he?"

She shook her head and closed her eyes, completely at peace in Ichigo's arms. "No."

' _Damn, King. Give me some credit!'_

Ichigo ignored his hollow, looking down at the woman in his arms. Just when his feelings for Orihime had turned from friendship into love he couldn't say, but it had been a while. He knew how she felt about him, he'd pieced it together during the battles at Las Noches and after Tatsuki nearly beat him to death, but he wasn't sure what to do about it – so he ignored it. Now he knew, now that she had been so close and yet so far, he never wanted to lose her again. "Hime?" he whispered, squeezing her gently.

"Yes?" she asked, slowly opening her eyes. He was relieved to see the brightness back in their gray depths.

"I promise you my hollow will never hurt you," he vowed, bending to press his forehead against hers. "He won't hurt you because he's me. He feels what I feel. And," he sucked in a deep breath for courage. "And I love you."

Orihime froze at the three words she had been dying to hear, had been dying to say, but had been too afraid to. "W-what?"

He swallowed. _How can it be so hard to say it after what we just did?!_ "I love you, Orihime Inoue."

Orihime's face slowly melted into the widest smile he had ever seen. She threw her arms around him, burying her face against his bare chest. "I love you, Ichigo Kurosaki!"

He pulled her close, closing his eyes as she settled against him. He had never been more thankful that his soul badge had gone off in the middle of the night before.

* * *

 _A/N: There you have it! My first Ichihime lemon! I hope you enjoyed it. I just LOVE these two! I wrote this having not actually seen the ending to the Arrancar Arc but I got plenty of spoilers (unfortunately) and couldn't get this idea out of my head so I did some research. I hope I got everything right but please let me know if I didn't. Comments and reviews are always welcome!_

 _A/N: I do not own Bleach or any of the characters. They all belong to Tite Kubo._


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